Bose has slowly built a reputation for innovative audio products, from tiny speakers that get extremely loud, to standard-setting noise cancellation technology that many competitors have since mimicked. So when the company releases a simple pair of headphones, it's almost surprising. The Bose OE2i, at $179.95 (direct), offers solid performance and iPhone controls built into the cable. Aside from that, there's not much else to note. The audio quality is quite good, but there are other options in this price range, of both earphone and headphone varieties, that offer more impressive sound performance.

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Design Offered in all black or all white (our test unit was black), the OE2i looks similar to the popular QuietComfort 3 ($349.95, 4 stars). It's also a supra-aural headphone pair, which means the cups sit on the ear instead of encircling and enclosing it. The "OE" in the product name stands for "on ear," and as you might have guessed, there's also a Bose IE2 ($99.95, 4 stars). The supra-aural design is great for comfort, but not so great for audio leakage—unless you're in a noisy environment, your coworkers or anyone nearby is likely to hear a bit of your music, too.

The headband has ample padding for the top of your head, with metallic adjusting bands that extend or retract on either side. The earcups measure 2.3 by 2 inches, creating a roughly ear-sized oval shape in black plastic with the Bose logo branded across the middle in metallic paint. The insides are lushly padded black leather, just like the QuietComfort 3, with a small mesh opening in the center for sound to pass through. The cable is removable—and thus replaceable, which is a big plus—and connects to the left earcup.

In what's fast becoming a standard, perhaps at Apple's behest, the iPhone controls are located very close to the top of the cable, near your mouth. That's also where the mic is, which makes for clearer voice quality. And indeed, calls sound about as clear as one might expect on the iPhone, which isn't celebrated for its call clarity. However, it makes controlling the iPhone a blind task. You'll have to memorize which buttons are for Volume up or down, Track forward or backward, and so forth. It's fairly easy to accidentally press the wrong button, though Bose takes a little of the guesswork out of it by making the larger middle button, which answers or ends calls (and controls Play/Pause functions), slightly indented compared to the Volume/Tracking buttons.

A carrying pouch, which the headphones collapse and fold flat into for easy toting, is included with the pair. Bose also offers a less expensive model, the $149.95 (direct) OE2, which lacks the iPhone controls but is otherwise identical.

Performance Not a subtle pair of earphones, the OE2i has boosted high frequencies and a full bass response, which makes it sound particularly good on pop and rock music. At maximum volume on tracks with deep bass, something peculiar happens: The drivers don't distort, even on challenging tracks like The Knife's "Silent Shout," which has a thunderous low end beat. However, the bass response seems too much for the actual earcup enclosures, as they can vibrate and audibly rattle a bit. Simply placing my fingers on the earcups muted the rattling. Once the rattling was gone, it was easy to enjoy clear, strong bass performance.

At more moderate listening levels, the bass sounded quite full and the rattling was never an issue. At times, however, it can sound like the midrange frequencies have been dampened a bit in favor of boosting the bass and, even more so, the high frequencies. This makes for what some might call an overly bright sound on some types of music. That can enhance clarity, and indeed the vocals on most songs stand out a bit more on the OE2i than on other headphone pairs. At times, however, the stringed instruments on John Adams' "The Chairman Dances" sounded a bit brighter and crisper than they needed to. On tracks like this, where bass response is more subtle, the low end seems to disappear a bit. There is no mistaking, however, that this is a headphone pair with a seriously sculpted frequency response—audiophiles seeking flat response, or bass fiends seeking headphones to blast at high volumes, for that matter, should look elsewhere.

The OE2i can't quite match the sonic performance of some similarly priced earphones and headphones. The Bowers & Wilkins C5 In-Ear Headphones ($179.95, 4.5 stars), a recent Editors' Choice, offer a slightly deeper bass response and the most secure fit you'll find in a pair of earphones. Bowers & Wilkins also makes an on-ear, supra-aural headphone pair, the P5 Mobile Hi-Fi Headphones ($299.95, 4.5 stars) which sound better than either the C5 or the OE2i—but cost significantly more. The Denon AH-D1100 ($199.99, 4.5 stars) is a circumaural (around-the-ear) headphone option, and, for just $20 more, it offers a significant upgrade in audio performance over the OE2i. If the OE2i and C5 are bit out of your price range, the in-ear Shure SE215 ($119, 4 stars) is another recent Editors' Choice with excellent overall sound performance. Still, Bose, like Apple, is a brand that breeds loyalty. For those customers who do choose to purchase the OE2i, they aren't likely to be disappointed, even if the OE2i can't quite keep up with the stars of the Denon and B&W lineups.

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